Well… this is my first time writing a fic. I always had neat ideas for stories, but I never fully implemented them in a way such as this. I decided to start with a story involving the characters from Miraculous since the show's structure allows me simple plots, yet more imaginative scenarios. I tend to have a problem with describing details (either too much, or too little), but I'll do my best to create a flow with the story. Any form of creative criticism is highly appreciated. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
"Have a nice weekend class, but don't forget to finish the online assignments before Monday!" said Miss Bustier, as the ringing bell signaled dismissal.
As the students began to pack their belongings, Alya began passing out small cards around the classroom. Everyone looked at them with a mix of joy and intrigue. She then gave one to her best friend Marinette, who accepted it with some curiosity.
"What are these Alya?" she asked.
"They're invitations to the awesome party I'm throwing tomorrow, that's what they are!" she responded with enthusiasm.
Marinette began to look over the card and read the text.
Celebrate the 1st Anniversary Of Ladybug and Chat Noir!
Come and show your love for France's favorite heroes for over a year of support!
Food, music, and good company!
Feel free to dress up in costume!
7PM at the Grand Paris Hotel, Main Ballroom
She then looked at the card's decorations. It was red with black polka dots, like a ladybug's shell. There were small ladybugs and green paw prints on each of the four corners. It seemed that Alya had spent a lot of time working on these. Knowing her, she probably made them all by hand individually.
"Wow Alya!" exclaimed Marinette. "An anniversary party? It's crazy that it's been that long since they showed up. But, how did you manage to reserve the Grand Paris Ballroom?"
They then noticed Chloe as she was exiting the classroom. "You two are just lucky that me and daddy love Ladybug so much." she said without looking back.
"Well I think it's an awesome idea Alya." said Adrien, as he rose from his seat. "Sounds like a lot of fun. Doesn't it Nino?"
"Yeah, it's great." he said with some hesitation. "At least you don't have to put the party together."
"Hey, it's a small price to pay if you want to DJ." said Alya.
Marinette gave a slight chuckle as the four left the classroom, and walked downstairs to the exit. As they left, they passed by the other students talking about their weekend plans. There were mixed discussions about homework, the school's soccer team making nationals, new movies coming out, and of course, Alya's party. The group then went outside to the school's entrance as everyone was heading home.
"Adri-kins!" shouted Chloe, as she was waiting for her personal limo.
"Uh… I'm going to go see what she wants. I'll catch up with you guys later." said Adrien. Marinette noticed that he was slightly annoyed by having to speak to her. As they began to talk, she looked at Chloe with an ugly stare of jealousy. It took Alya tapping on her shoulder to get back her attention.
"Girl, are you even listening?" she said.
"Huh? What were you saying?" said Marinette.
"Didn't think so. I said are you able to come to the party? Because every time I set something up, you make some excuse saying that you can't make it. What are you doing all the time?"
Saving the city as the superhero Ladybug, that's what I'm doing, the dark-haired girl thought. I miss classes and spend school nights stopping crime and fighting the Akumas created by Hawkmoth, leaving me exhausted and with failing grades. With that, I also have to deal with my goofy partner with a pun addiction, Chat Noir.
"Well… I uh… I've been… uh… Well…" She began to stumble on her words trying to find a good lie for her constant disappearances.
"Whatever. What matters now is that you ARE coming to this party!" demanded Alya. "Even if it means I have to drag your butt out of that bakery of yours! So as your friend, can you please make time to show up?"
Marinette sighed. "Okay Alya, I'll be there."
Alya then pulled her in close for a hug. "Oh thank you Marinette!" she said as she held her close. "Trust me, you will have an awesome time!"
"Uh… I hate to break this up, but don't we have to finish setting up the decorations?" said Nino, speaking up from behind.
Ayla then let go of Marinette. "Oh, you're right!" she said. "We still have so much work to do. Alright, we need to get going. But we'll see you at the hotel, right?"
"Definitely." said Marinette. She then waved goodbye to Alya and Nino as then walked off to finish planning the party. She then noticed Chloe's limo pulling up to the curb. She turned to see her wave goodbye to Adrien as she was getting inside the car along with her friend Sabrina.
As the limo drove off, Adrien saw that Marinette was now on her own. He then walked up to her, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and kissed her on the cheek. "Did I keep you waiting my lady?" he said.
"Not at all." she said, as they began to walk home. "What did Chloe want?"
"Oh, she wanted to know if I'd come to the party. She also wanted to know if I was dressing up, and if we could go together in matching outfits, and blah… blah… blah, when can we tell other people we're dating now?"
"Not yet kitty. We can't tell people about us just out of the blue. What are we supposed to explain to our friends when they ask how we got together?"
"Yeah, imagine that conversation. 'When did you two start dating?' Well, I'm actually Chat Noir, and one night I decided to reveal my identity to Ladybug. And it just so happens that Ladybug has been Marinette this whole time! That was over a month ago, and since then we've been going steady."
Marinette laughed as a small voice came from Adrien's jacket. "Can you guys ease up on the lovey-dovey stuff please? It's making me lose my lunch." said Plagg.
That's when a high pitched voice came from Marinette's purse. "Don't be rude Plagg." said Tikki. "I think it's nice that they're sharing their feelings with each other. It's very sweet and romantic."
The two teens blushed after hearing the kwami's complement. They then stopped to talk just outside of Marinette's bakery. Suddenly, she had an idea regarding their relationship alibi.
"How about this: we'll go to Alya's party, have a good time, and then tell people that you asked me out that night and we'll go from there."
"That's sounds good to me." Adrien said. "That's why you're the brains of this duo. Hey, I have to head home to work on something, but do you want to go out for a movie later tonight? Maybe go get some ice cream afterwards?"
"I'd love to. I have something to work on tonight too, but I can make time. Does 7:30 sound good?"
"Purrrfect my lady."
She gave a sarcastic chuckle before they shared a short kiss. Marinette waved goodbye as she went inside the bakery. As Adrien was walking home, Plagg poked his head out of his pocket to ask him a question.
"Does this mean you're going to wear that Ladybug costume you got last Halloween to the party?"
"What do you think?"
That's when Plagg realized something about his Miraculous wielder: he was a giant dork.
The large, circular windows opened letting the evening sunlight in the dark lair. A swarm of white butterflies began to flutter around the room and the shadowy figure standing in the glow of light.
Hawkmoth. A tall man wearing a purple suit, a black mask concealing his identity, and holding a cane in his hands. In the center of his suit was the source of his power: the Butterfly Miraculous. A purple broach with small, white wings that allows its user to give anyone extraordinary abilities to fight for justice. But such a powerful artifact wasn't enough for him. His true goal is ultimate power. The only way to achieve this, is to acquire both the Ladybug earrings, and the Black Cat ring; the Miraculous of both good and bad luck.
These two jewels remained lost for unknown years, until he had an idea: "What better way to find superheroes, than by creating supervillains?"
Against the wishes of his kwami, Nooroo, he has been sending his Akuma butterflies to control the citizens of Paris to do his bidding. Weather they are upset, angry, jealous, or heartbroken, they are easy to convince to work for him in return for whatever they want. No matter how dangerous these minions are, they are always stopped by Ladybug and Chat Noir, and their Miraculous fall further from his grasp.
I'm getting nowhere slowly, Hawkmoth thought. It's been over a year and I haven't come any closer to getting their Miraculous. I've controlled artists, musicians, chefs, police officers; even the mayor's daughter and Santa Claus are weak to my power! I even gave a girl the true strength of the Fox Miraculous and still, NOTHING! I think I should try a new strategy. Instead of giving powers to emotionally distraught teenagers, what if I give powers to someone who is dangerous enough without them?
He began to use his senses to search for a new being to control. There was a certain challenge to finding a new minion. Everyone in Paris had an aura that represented their negative emotions. Some are too small to be useful, while others are too inconsistent to have full control over. But there was a faint presence that caught his interest. A small aura, but strong and filled with repressed rage. He was staying in a small building just on the far end of the city.
"There… perfect." said Hawkmoth.
A small butterfly flew into his hands. He then imbued the insect with his power, giving it a purple-black glow. It then flew from his hand to seek out its target.
"Fly away my evil Akuma, and give me a champion that will DESTROY LADYBUG!"
The light of the sunset creeped through the boarded-up windows of the dark and decrepit apartment. There were discarded food containers and empty liquor bottles scattered around the hardwood floors. The only other light source came from a small TV broadcasting the evening news. Across the room, sat a figure on a dirty couch. He was tall, middle-aged, and was finishing a bottle of cheap whisky. No one knows his name, but within the criminal underworld, they all know his alias: Jacket.
In 1989, he single-handedly ended a crime syndicate in Miami, Florida by brutally murdering every member without sympathy. Everyone from the smallest henchmen, to the most powerful kingpins were either shot, stabbed, beaten, decapitated, or burned alive; all while he wore different animal masks like a killer in a horror B-movie. These killings were all done as a "Messenger" under the orders of a mysterious organization calling themselves 50 Blessings.
After finishing his work, Jacket went dark for over two decades. It wasn't until he was contacted by a man named Bain where he decided to get back into the business. Becoming part of his so-called "Payday Gang" allowed him to fill his sadistic bloodlust and be paid handsomely for "interrogating" uncooperative criminals and federal agents. While the other gang members found Jacket's methods effective, they often felt uneasy around his presence. These feelings weren't eased by the fact that he never chooses to speak.
Growing bored of watching updates on French politics and celebrity gossip on TV, Jacket finished his drink and decided to review his plans for his next job. He pulled out a small tape recorder from a pocket in his signature letterman jacket and inserted a small tape that was given to him by Dallas, the gang leader. He pushed the "PLAY" button on the side, and began to listen:
"Alright Bain, what do you got for us?"
"Dallas, I got a new job from The Butcher. There seems to be some rivals trying to push out cheaper cocaine on her territory. She wants us to get rid of the product and the people selling it. They're operating out of a nightclub in Paris."
"Ah, the city of lights and love. Takes me back to my burglary days. Remember Hoxton?"
"Of course I do Clover. That fuckin' city was a giant treasure chest ripe for plenty of heists. Can't wait to go back. So what's the plan of attack Bain?"
"When not open for business, the place is locked down tighter than Fort Knox. This means we have to hit it when it's open. We know the coke is being kept in the manager's office, but we don't know the exact layout of the building, or the how strong the security is. Because of this, we're going to need someone to case the joint. I'm almost done with the preparations to send Jacket out there to do such a thing."
"Wait, we're sending that mute wanker?!"
"Why is he going? Out of all the 18 people in this gang, why send him?!"
"I have to agree with the others on this one Bain. Why is that nutcase in charge of casing?"
"There's a reason for that Dallas. These gang members are well aware of our previous ventures and they know a lot about us, including what you all look like. If they see someone like Chains or Sydney in their club, they'll step up their security to ensure we don't try something. Jacket however, is kept completely off the records. No one knows what he looks like, so he's the perfect spy. In fact, I'm recording this meeting so I can put it on a tape that he can use for instructions."
"If you say so. What do you need him to do?"
"On Tuesday, he'll be flying out to Paris to oversee the safe house I acquired for this job. On that weekend, he'll scout out the place so you can understand these bastards better. Clover, I'll then have you, Houston, and Wolf fly out to meet him where you can stay in the safe house and form a plan for the following weekend. That extra week of time should be enough for you to get any gear you need."
"Sounds like a decent plan. Maybe having Wolf around will keep Jacket under control, since they seem to be best friends. The damn psychos…"
"This sounds like it could work. We'll get done Bain."
"You better Dallas. The Butcher isn't very forgiving of those who disappoint her."
"Can I add something?"
"What Hoxton?"
"You said you were recording this for Jacket right?"
"Yes…?"
"HEY TWAT! DON'T FUCK THIS U-"
Jacket pressed the "STOP" button and sat up from the couch. He checked his watch and noticed it was 6:45. He needed to leave now if he wanted to get to the club in time. He was about to turn the TV off until he noticed the current report.
"In other news, The Grand Paris Hotel will be hosting a public event celebrating the superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Almost one year ago, these two young vigilantes appeared from seemingly nowhere to save the city from the Akumas caused by the mysterious Hawkmoth, who is still wanted by the police. Since that day, there have been…"
Ladybug and Chat Noir… Jacket thought. So called superheroes helping the people from monsters and costumed villains. Yet, crime hasn't gone down in the slightest. They spend their time fighting these "Akumas", while thieves, rapists, murderers, and drug dealers continue to grow. The police spend most of their time prepping for these villains, and it leaves the city vulnerable to corruption. The Payday Gang stopped more criminals than these pussies! I ended an entire syndicate by myself in a few months, yet they haven't caught their nemesis in over a year!
Jacket become so enraged by his thoughts, he never noticed the butterfly land on his tape recorder. He then heard an unfamiliar voice in his head.
"Jacket. I am Hawkmoth. I hear you want to stomp out the crime that Ladybug and Chat Noir have been neglecting, as well as helping your friends. I think we can work together. I'll give you the power to take care of your little heist, and in return you will bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. Do we have a deal?
Jacket gave a smile of excitement. He couldn't wait to show Paris what he can do.
To Be Continued...